Connie Collins, Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator

March 2016

Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Welcome back to another 2015-16 Stampin' Up! Artisan Design Team blog hop. We are a group of international demonstrators selected by Stampin' Up! to represent the company on our blogs and on social media. If you are already going through the hop, you should have just arrived here from visiting my incredibly talented friend, Cindy Schuster. When you leave here you will travel on to visit the amazing Inge Groot. This week we are featuring any stamp set or product we want as long as it is from our current box of goodies. You will be amazed at all the fabulous projects created by the Artisan Design Team so be sure to go all the way through the blog hop!

It's no secret that I love flowers and I am so excited to finally give this stamp set some ink. Here are a few things about this card that you should know. First, I wanted to use the flower clusters separately, so I cut them in half, down the middle. These are photopolymer stamps so it is really easy to see where to cut and I can always position the pieces as they were originally designed. Second, I stamped the flowers with Basic Black ink on Shimmery White cardstock and heat embossed them with clear embossing powder. (This ink dries quickly, so you need to have your clear embossing powder ready to go.) The embossing really makes the stamping pop and it gave me some channels to help keep the ink inside the lines when coloring. It also really enhanced the black ink and made it stand out even more on that bright background. Finally, I wanted to show you just how vivid our ink refills are when you color on Shimmery White cardstock...absolutely stunning. I filled an AquaPainter with water used that to paint the images.

My paper curled quite a bit with all the water I added, so I put the card front inside of a folder piece of copier paper and ironed the backside. This will melt some of the embossing powder, so be sure to put something over it or you will have a BIG MESS!

I am really loving this technique and I can't believe it has taken me this long to embrace it. I had to resist the urge to add too many embellishments. I wanted this card to be able to go through the mail easily, so I kept the thickness at a minimum. I could have even left off the bow, but you know how I love to add twine to my cards!

The Artisan Design Team will be hopping again in a few weeks, so be sure to check back often. Inge Groot is next on our blog hop so be sure to head on over and check out what she and the the rest of the Artisan Design Team team have in store by clicking on the button below.

I WOULD LOVE TO BE YOUR DEMONSTRATOR!

If you are in the United States and need a demonstrator, then you can order your supplies in my online store here. Thanks for looking!

Thursday, March 24, 2016

Stampin' Up! asked each of the Artisan Design Team members to submit one Instagram tip per quarter. The tip has to be fairly self explanatory based on just a few pictures. I sent this card in almost three months ago, but because it was an Easter card, they decided to hold it until this week. We are allowed to share them on our blogs after they have gone live, so here it is just in case you don't have Instagram. Some of the details were hard to see on Instagram, so I have split out the different photos so that you can get a better look.

I started with a 4"x5.25" piece of Daffodil Delight cardstock and covered it with several hearts cut with the Bloomin' Heart Thinlits Die. I trimmed off the excess and mounted it to a standard A2 card base made with Whisper White Thick Cardstock.

I stamped the Easter greeting from the Suite Saying stamp set in Basic Black ink and mounted it on some Wisteria Wonder cardstock. I die cut some flowers using the Botanical Builder Framelits Dies from Rose Red and Wisteria Wonder cardstock. The leaves are die cut from Old Olive cardstock. I used sponge daubers to add some shading to the flower centers and then I shaped the flower for some added dimension. Finally, I added some White Perfect Accents to the center of each flower.

Be sure to check out Instagram each Tuesday by searching #adttipsandtricks.

Monday, March 21, 2016

This week we are CASEing the amazing Jessica Williams over at the Global Design Project challenge blog. Jessica is a very talented stamper from Down Under and we are on the Artisan Design Team together this year. Her projects are amazing.

When I look at Jessica's card there are a few things that jump out at me. First, is the amazing color pallet. I adore the Watermelon Wonder/Smoky Slate combo. Next is that beautiful bow. And finally, I see flowers...need I say more? LOL! Based on this observation, I knew that I wanted to incorporate these three elements into my card design.

I started by stamping the flowers from the Remarkable You stamp set with Basic Gray Archival Ink, then I masked them off and stamped the leaves. This comforting Bible verse is from the Rose Wonder stamp set and I have been wanting to use it on a card for a while now. I just recently started stamping on the Shimmery White cardstock and using reinkers and Aqua Painters (filled with water) to color the images. This is a similar technique to using regular watercolor paper, but the color doesn't "move" as much. I really do like this method because I love the smooth texture of the Shimmery White cardstock compared to the bumpy texture of watercolor paper. The trick to achieving this particular look is to start lightly and keep adding more intense layers of color. Here is an example of similar card with just the basic wash on the flowers...

Give each application time to dry before moving on. Like I said, the colors don't "move" like regular watercolor paper, so if your color is too intense, it is difficult to remove. It is much easier to add more color than it is to take it away. For instance, the leaves on this card have three layers of Mossy Meadow ink and a top layer of Forest Foliage. The first layer is a wash (just like the sample above), but the layers on top are applied with more of a dabbing motion with each layer of color being a little more intense than the one before.

Once I was finished coloring, I decided that I need to tone down the Watermelon Wonder just a bit, so I heavily sponged the edges with flowers with Smoky Slate ink. I used a lighter hand on the upper right corner. It trimmed off about 3/8" from the sides of the card. Since this is a top-folding card I tied on a bow made with a strand of the 1-1/4" White Jute Ribbon before adding it to the card base. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this twine because it makes the most amazing bows. Finally, I secured the panel to a Basic Black card base with Tear & Tape Adhesive. At the last minute, I decided to add some bling with a few sequins and rhinestones.

We invite you to play along with our challenges each and every week. But even if you don't join in, be sure to check out what the other talented designers/players have created for this fun challenge at the Global Design Project Challenge Blog.

Thursday, March 17, 2016

Welcome back to our Fancy Friday Blog Hop. With next Friday being Good Friday, we decided to do our blog hop a little early this month. If you are following along, you should have just arrived from visiting the lovely and talented Erica Cerwin.

It wasn't difficult for me to be inspired for today's project...I love all the beautiful colors of spring and with Easter just a week away I wanted to make some treat bags to give away to family and friends.

I incorporated a trick I have seen used by major manufacturers to create the closures for these fun treats. I attached the bows and tags to a white chenille stem and used that as a twist tie to close the bags. This makes it really easy for the person who receives the treat to open and close it without destroying the packaging or embellishments.

The sentiment from the Apple of My Eye stamp set is perfect for these treats. I stamped it on Whisper White card stock and then punched it out with a 1-3/4" Circle Punch. Then I layered it on some coordinating DSP punched with a 2-3/8" Scallop Punch.

I hope you like today's project. I can't wait to see what the other Fancy Friday team members have created. Now be sure to hop on over to visit the incredibly talented Krista Frattin.

Wednesday, March 16, 2016

Welcome back to another 2015-16 Stampin' Up! Artisan Design Team blog hop. We are a group of international demonstrators selected by Stampin' Up! to represent the company on our blogs and on social media. If you are already going through the hop, you should have just arrived here from visiting my incredibly talented friend, Cindy Schuster. When you leave here you will travel on to visit the amazing Inge Groot. This week we are featuring the Shine On Specialty Designer Series Paper. You will be amazed at all the fabulous projects created by the Artisan Design Team so be sure to go all the way through the blog hop!

One of the best things about being on the Artisan Design Team is that sometimes it challenges me to step outside of my comfort zone and try something new. I am convinced that I would have NEVER made this card had I not been asked to focus on this DSP. After, there isn't a single flower on this card (wink).

It doesn't happen often, but sometimes when I have a lot going on in my life, it is difficult to focus on my stamping and paper crafting. My card just wasn't coming together and the photo was due to SU the next day. That's where my teammate and friend, Cindy Schuster came to the rescue. I kept sending her pictures and asking "what do you think of this?" You see, it is okay to get feedback from another designer, especially when you value their opinion...and Cindy is amazing! She was able to provide me with a fresh perspective and helped me see that I was trying too hard. Once I quit worrying about the deadline, I was able to relax and then it all came together into one pretty amazing card.

One of the challenges of using this DSP is that it has silver metallic accents on one side and almost neon bright colors on the other. How you use it depends on your perspective. Personally, I am more of a glitz/glamour kind of gal who likes a more traditional look to my paper crafting so I opted to use the side with the silver accents. Here is a quick run down of this card. I wanted to hide the neon side of the dsp, so I created a top-folding card base with Crumb Cake cardstock and layered on the polka dot dsp. Next, I used the Sunburst Thinlits Die to cut some striped DSP and silver foil cardstock. I wanted the foil layer to peek out from behind the striped layer so I rotated the top layer about 1-2 degrees clockwise and then attached both layers to the card front with dimensionals. The die is larger than the 5.5"x4.25" card base, so I trimmed off the excess. I used the Star Framelits to cut two concentric stars from silver foil cardstock and attached those with dimensionals as well. I fussy cut some clouds from another sheet of the Shine On DSP. When the clouds straddled a gap in the sunburst, I used dimensions to add support. I stamped the word "shine" from the coordinating Sunburst Sayings stamp set and fussy cut it. Finally, I scattered some rhinestones on the front for just a bit more bling.

The Artisan Design Team will be hopping again in a few weeks, so be sure to check back often. Inge Groot is next on our blog hop so be sure to head on over and check out what she and the the rest of the Artisan Design Team team have in store by clicking on the button below.

I WOULD LOVE TO BE YOUR DEMONSTRATOR!

If you are in the United States and need a demonstrator, then you can order your supplies in my online store here. Thanks for looking!

Monday, March 14, 2016

We have a theme challenge this week over at the Global Design Project challenge blog. Let me just say that should be one of our biggest weeks because let's get real...just about anything goes as long as it is a thank you card...so if you have never played along on one of our challenges, this is definitely the week you should give it a go. One of the things we are doing at GDP this week is sending our card to someone who plays along with our challenges on a regular basis. It was really difficult for me to choose just one person, but in the end I picked Dena Rekow. Dena is so creative and funny, but the thing I like the best is that she isn't afraid to try new things. So thank you, Dena, for being a regular player over at the Global Design Project challenge blog.

I don't know about you, but it has been a long winter here in Tennessee and I am ready for some warmer weather. I love all the beautiful colors of Spring that I know will be bursting forth over the next several weeks. It is probably the most beautiful time of the year here in middle Tennessee and it definitely inspired my color selection for today's card.

Don't you just love those fun polka dots. The stamp is actually the cherry from the Apple of My Eye photopolymer set, but I could not resist turning it into a super fun background for this "one-layer" card. The sentiment if from the same set.

Isn't this color combo just so much fun? It is Watermelon Wonder, Daffodil Delight, and Garden Green on Whisper White Heavy Cardstock. It has taken a while for me to embrace Watermelon Wonder, but now that I have, I adore it. Here is a little tip...I wanted the flower center to be a perfect match with the dots, so I stamped the peach from the stamp set with Watermelon Wonder ink and then cut the flower center from the stamped piece.

The embellishments on this card are easy to create with the Botanical Builders and the Rose Garden Thinlits Dies. If you are wondering where that white twine is from...then wonder no more...it is a strand from the 1-1/4" White Jute Ribbon. It makes the most wonderful bows and it is a nice change of pace from my typical linen thread bows.

Monday, March 07, 2016

We have a great sketch challenge this week over at the Global Design Project challenge blog. I really love the simplicity of this layout created by the very talented Teneale Williams. She is one of my all time favorite stampers and it is such a blessing to be on the GDP team with her. As a matter of fact, I think our entire GDP team is amazing and I feel so blessed to know them all. We are very diverse in our styles, but that is one of the things that makes it so wonderful...we truly have something for everyone.

Here's the thing about sketches...they are designed to be a starting point for your card, but you don't have to get locked in to a literal interpretation. This is the card that I made based on the sketch.

I allowed the Pretty Petals DSP to set the stage for this lovely card and then I added the "thank you" from the "A Whole of Lovely" hostess set to the center as my focal point. You can find the DSP and the stamp set in the 2015-2016 Annual Catalog. The bow was made from a strand of the 1-1/4" Jute Ribbon and acts as the banner for sketch purposes. I love this ribbon but it is a little too wide for most of my projects, so I like to cut it into strips or remove strands for the most adorable bows. The only drawback is that it is a little fuzzy, so I try to give it a little trim before I add it to my cards.

I used the Updated Essentials Paper Piercing Guide to add interest to the stamped circle and then layered it on a slightly larger Old Olive cardstock circle. The funny thing about this card is that I stamped it several months ago and it has been sitting on my desk waiting for me to find the perfect card base. It wasn't until I saw this sketch that I knew the time had finally arrived. LOL! Part of the problem is that these are spring colors and it was already Autumn, so I just wasn't inspired. But I think it was worth the wait, don't you?

Wednesday, March 02, 2016

Welcome back to another 2015-16 Stampin' Up! Artisan Design Team blog hop. We are a group of international demonstrators chosen by Stampin' Up! to represent the company on our blogs and on social media. March 4th is International Scrapbooking Day, and since this is a global design team, we thought it would be fitting to focus on scrapbooking projects for this blog hop. Most of us tend to feature cards on our blogs, so this is an interesting change of pace. If you are already going through the hop, you should have just arrived here from visiting my super talented friend, Cindy Schuster. When you leave here you will travel on to visit the amazing Inge Groot.

I will be the first to admit that I don't scrapbook much...probably because I just don't have a sweet, little one underfoot. I am in that stage between little children and grandchildren (and I hope to stay there for at least a few more years.) So when I need photos of beautiful little girls, I turn to my sister. She and my mother are more than happy to supply photographs of my beautiful nieces. They live a few hundred miles away, so we only get to see them a couple of times a year. This is Maggie. She is the newest addition to our family. This is the very first page of have made of her and I think I am going to be in BIG TROUBLE. I typically make digital scrapbook pages when I know I will need duplicates...but this one is the real deal. Have you ever done something with the best of intentions, only to have it come back to haunt you? What was I thinking? I know that I need to make three more of this layout...or risk being shunned from any future family outings. (Insert puppy dog eyes and violin music here!) LOL!

I come from a family of seamstresses and quilters, but I have never actually made a quilt. (That is on my bucket list.) I like to joke and say that I create paper quilts. You may have already guessed that this page was a bit time consuming, but compared to a fabric quilt, it was much faster. The background is made up of 144 one inch squares of designer series paper. I wasn't sure what my final layout was going to look like, so I just decided to cover the entire 12"x12" piece of cardstock just to be safe. Yes, this was a bit of a challenge, so I have some tips that might make it easier for you to create your own.

First, I narrowed down my color pallet...Rose Red, Blushing Bride, Mint Macaron, Crumb Cake, Garden Green, and Whisper White. Then I looked through my paper collection to see what I had in these colors. Most of the patterns are from Birthday Bouquet DSP and Love Blossoms DSP.

After I selected the colors, I used a 1" square punch and got busy. I loosely arranged the squares on a piece of 12"x"12 cardstock. Once I felt good about the arrangement, I used my cell phone to snap a photo. Next, I collected each row in order from left to right. I kept each row separate by placing them in an old ice cube tray. The tray has 14 wells and this was the prefect way to keep everything organized. Next, I put several rows of tear and tape adhesive on my card base and worked two rows at a time, using my cell phone photo to help me stay on track. This allowed me to be able to take a much needed break between rows when necessary. I hate to even mention this, but I sponged Crumb Cake lightly around each square...I can hear the groans now...LOL! I think that if I were going to start over, I might use larger squares, but not too large because it may take away from the heirloom quilt feeling that I am trying to achieve.

If you make it to this point, then it is smooth sailing. I layered a large piece of DSP behind the photo mat to help tone down the "busy-ness" of the layout. I die cut several flowers and leaves to help ground the corners of the photo. I also stamped and die cut the sentiment oval and words. The entire project took about eight hours to complete, but I could probably reproduce it in about 5-6 hours now that I have the design worked out. I know that is a lot of time to spend on a scrapbook page, but I consider this an heirloom page...one that will be enjoyed for years to come. I think I am going to have to find a way to at least scan the background of this page so that I don't have to start completely from scratch. If you have a favorite place to have your 12x12 scrapbook pages copied, then leave me a comment below...please!

The Artisan Design Team will be hopping again in a few weeks, so be sure to check back often. Inge Groot is next on our blog hop so be sure to head on over and check out what she and the the rest of the Artisan Design Team team have in store by clicking on the button below.

I WOULD LOVE TO BE YOUR DEMONSTRATOR!

If you are in the United States and need a demonstrator, then you can order your supplies in my online store here. Thanks for looking!